This post was updated Nov. 3 at 7:34 p.m.

The Saiyans invaded Los Angeles on Saturday. Nicolas Cage also swung by – a cultural crossover fans would only otherwise see in a Fortnite lobby.

L.A. Comic Con returned to the LA Convention Center from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1, bringing together actors, artists and fans for a weekend of cosplay, Q&As and other encounters with the talent behind beloved fictional characters. One of Saturday’s panels featured Sean Schemmel, Christopher Sabat and Justin Cook, “Dragon Ball” series voice actors, while Cage starred in another. Both panels offered insight into how the stars cultivated their crafts and the heart that goes into their creative processes.

For Sabat, who voices series deuteragonists Vegeta and Piccolo, the franchise began on a much smaller scale than his characters’ power levels might suggest. Also serving as one of the voice directors for the English dub of the series, Sabat recalled recruiting actors through flyers in coffee shops and on university campuses as well as an advertisement in the Dallas Observer. He added that FUNimation – the company producing the English dub of “Dragon Ball Z” – had little money to pay its voice actors. Sabat said he didn’t realize how significant the series would become, recalling his surprise when even members of the Japanese production team of the show expressed their love for the English dub.

“I was like, ‘This would be a fun job for a while,’” Sabat said. “I had no idea that it would end up being anything like this.”

Schemmel, who voices protagonist Son Goku, said he discovered the story alongside his character. Because he had not received the script in advance, the voice actor said he did not learn his character would fight antagonist Frieza by transforming into a Super Saiyan – a more powerful form that the race of aliens, the Saiyans, turn into throughout the series – until he arrived at the studio. On top of not knowing the show’s plot, Schemmel added that the only direction he initially received from his producer was that Goku was pure of heart.

But just like Goku himself, who trains to become stronger throughout the series, Schemmel said he was always looking for new ways to take his performance to the next level.

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Schemmel added that he learned Goku was based on Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King from the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West.” Schemmel added that Wendy Pini, co-creator of comic “ElfQuest,” also recommended a film about Wukong to Schemmel to help him understand the character that inspired Goku.

Schemmel said he wanted scripts of “Dragon Ball Z Kai” – a remaster of “Dragon Ball Z” that remains more faithful to the original manga’s content – to stay closer to Akira Toriyama’s original vision written in Japanese following earlier efforts to alter the show for American audiences.

Bringing Goku to life also requires considerable physical effort, Schemmel added. A classically trained French horn player, Schemmel said his musical background helped him develop the breath support needed for Goku’s screams. Schemmel said recording Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 – a more powerful transformation both Goku and Vegeta take on – caused him to pass out during sessions for both “Dragon Ball GT” and “Dragon Ball Daima.”

“The animation demands it – you cannot sit on Dragon Ball,” Schemmel said. “How do I make my voice sound as awesome as that looks?”

Sabat compared the vocal cords to an instrument, explaining that he places Piccolo’s voice low and Vegeta’s high in the nasal cavity. He said directing also gave him opportunities to learn from the techniques of other performers, including voice actress Laura Bailey’s ability to make her voice quiver.

Beyond the recording booth, Schemmel said seeing fans grow up with the series has given the work personal significance. He said by the time he turns 60 – in three years – he will have spent half his life recording the show. Having never had children himself, he added that he considers the fans his children.

While Goku confronts android villains throughout the series, Schemmel pushed back against a different kind of artificial threat, joking about a hypothetical panel where someone tells an AI panelist, “Thank you, AI, for my childhood.” Schemmel called to protect the late “Dragon Ball” creator Akira Toriyama’s vision, celebrating the ability of one artist’s imagination to change the world with a pen rather than a prompt.

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“We’re all humans, and you’re connecting with us,” Schemmel said. “We’re not AI, and this is what matters, and we are grateful that our spirits and hearts are shared with you, and you share yours with us.”

Meanwhile, at South Hall, Cage brought the unhinged energy to his fans they have come to expect from him. The “Ghost Rider” star similarly explored how much of a performer’s own life can enter a fictional character and talked about finding room to play and experiment in his performances.

Reflecting on his role in “Wild at Heart,” Cage said the late director David Lynch helped him rediscover the joy of acting. He recalled a set filled with music and humor, where an unexpected request could lead to him inventing an opera song about cotton balls. Although the song did not make the film, Cage said Lynch’s encouragement helped him feel free to enjoy the work.

“David is somebody that re-instilled the joy of creativity and acting because he’s so fun,” Cage said.

For “Spider-Noir,” Cage said he shaped his performance around the cadence of old movie stars to evoke the feeling of a 1930s noir film. He said repeating a piece of dialogue from an old movie helped him find that rhythm, and he added that he prefers watching the series in black and white for the feeling of being transported to another period of filmmaking.

All that preparation, Cage said, comes together when the camera starts rolling.

“It all coalesces, and you relax into the character,” Cage said.

Cage wasn’t the only one going into the Spider-Verse. Beyond the panels, cosplayers in the convention center’s Concourse Hall were putting their own spin on the Webbed Menace.

Cosplayer Nemo dressed in Peter Parker’s Homemade Suit from “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” while Roe McCarty wore a Spider-Man Noir costume and William Merrigan took on the mantle of the Scarlet Spider.

McCarty, a screenwriting student at California State University, Northridge, said he was excited to meet Cage for a photo opportunity while dressed as his character. A filmmaker with an interest in special effects makeup, McCarty said all three cosplayers grew up in theater. Having other attendees recognize his costume added to the experience.

“I have had a couple people stop and ask me for a picture, and I don’t think I’ve been more proud of a costume ever in my life,” McCarty said.

Nemo said a previous costume took about three months to assemble. While the work can exceed what people expect, Nemo said conventions provide a particular reward for that investment: finding someone who recognizes the character.

From the actors on stage to the cosplayers on the convention floor, Comic Con brought LA together through the characters they love and the work involved in bringing them to life.

“When you put in all the effort into something and then you show up to places like this, there’s always going to be someone who’s like, ‘Oh my god, I know exactly who you are,’” Nemo said. “That’s one of the best feelings.”